Has anyone tea-dyed a batik?
 

I've been looking for a sand-colored batik to use as the background in a desert-themed quilt that has been hatching in my mind. I'd like it to have a mottled or watercolor type design so it would resemble real sand....no flowers or leaves or animals or such. It would also be nice if I could find it on sale. But I haven't had any luck finding it yet.

However, I did find one batik I like but the color leans more towards yellow. I wonder if I could make it more of a tan or sand color if I lightly tea-dye it. I could use very weak tea or just dip it in and take it right back out. I've successfully tea-dyed other fabrics before, but didn't know if batiks would react differently. This one is even on sale, but I don't want to spend the $$$ if I can't end up with the color I need.

What do you think?

If you could Buy a small sample and test it out

I have never tea dyed because I figure laundry soap today would take it out! low water emersion with some natural muslin might do the trick

i don't think you would get anywhere with a weak tea- or a simple dunk---you would need to make the tea fairly strong and soak the fabric for a couple hours- to 24 hours- if you scrunch it up & put it in (after it has been pre-washed-with detergent- no fabric softener) it will come out mottled- then rinse it- you may have to do it a couple times before you have the coloration you want- then heat set it.

Sorry to do this But you say you have Tea die fabric before and I have a ? I want to Tea Die some fabric too But want to know just how well does Tea die fabric stand up to Washing and all the other things of life Ete.... and how do you Make tea fabric permanet?

How much do you need? I may have just the batik you are looking for ... I used it for sand in my twisted palms quilt. See photo below ... the one I'm talking about is the one at the top of the photo with the foot prints quilting in to it.

I'll have to pull it and measure it, but I probably have somewhere in the neighborhood of a yard.

There's a place not too far from you called Doviequilting and fabric.com...she had batiks at $3.00 per yard....google her and see if she has anything you might like.

Keepsake quilting has it. look at there sand dollar medley. I bought it by mistake but using it in a quilt now for beach sand.

Heres the link they also have 1/2 yards
http://www.keepsakequilting.com/prod...ERS-MEDLEY.htm

or you could use setacolor, a fabric paint, squinching up the fabric well as it dries for a tonal effect. I get my paint from Dharma trading.